The Musicians Brain

Did you know that the musician’s brain evolves differently to non-musicians?

Well, it does!

Neuroscientists have found a link between making music and brain function. Comparing years of disciplined and structured music practice to a ‘work out’ for the brain, scientists found that areas of the brain responsible for audition, vision and motor were engaged and activated the most when playing a musical instrument.

There have been a number of studies on musician’s enhanced auditory systems and their remarkable ability to use auditory information better than the non-musicians listening to the same sounds. This is the result of many years of disciplined practice and precision listening. This skill also carries over into everyday life so musicians are often more able to cope better with understanding speech whilst in noisy environments than non-musicians.

A recent study by team of researchers from Northwestern University’s Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory also confirmed the benefits of childhood music experiences. They found that musicians are better able to process foreign languages because of their ability to hear differences in pitch, and have incredible abilities to detect speech in noise. According to the research, even a few years of music training benefits the brain.